DID You KNOW? FUN FACTS ABOUT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

by

Gail SkrobackHennessey

* 1. In ancient Greece, unmarried women participated in their own games. Held ever 4 years, the event was held to honor Zeus’ wife, Hera. The event was a running event. in 1900, women were first allowed to participate in the modern Olympic Games.

* The first TEAM sport of the modern olympics, added in 1900, was football.

* The city of London, England, has the record for hosting the Olympic Games. The city has hosted THREE Olympics.

* In total, the United States has hosted the most games. The USA has hosted FOUR Winter Olympic Games and FOUR Summer Olympic Games.

* The motto of the Olympic Games is in Latin. "Citius,Altius, Fortius" means "Swifter, Higher, Stronger."

*A baker named Coroebus was the first record winner of an Olympic competition. The year was 776BC. He competed in a running event.

* In 2012, both softball and baseball were dropped from the games. Wrestling, one of the original Olympic sports, has been dropped from the 2020 Olympics.

*Tug-of-War, Croquet and lacrosse were once Olympic sports.

* Golf and rugby will be sports in the 2016 Olympic games.

* The Caribbean nation of Jamaica sent a bobsled team to the 1988 Winter Olympic games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada!

* In 2012, Saudi Arabia allowed two women to compete(judo and 80m running competition). It was the first time women from Saudi Arabia were allowed to compete. The Olympic committee said the male teams from Saudi Arabia would be disqualified if females were banned. The issue was gender discrimination.

• * Women made history at the 2014 Winter Games when they were allowed to compete for the first time in ski jumping. Men have been doing the event since 1924.
• * The Country of Brazil is the largest country on the continent of South America. It is also the 5th largest country in the world. The 2016 Summer Olympics, held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, is the very first time the Olympics were held in a country on the continent of South America.The 2016 Summer Olympics, held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, is the very first timethe olympics will be held in a country on the continent of South America.
• * At the 2016 games, there will be a group of between 5-10 athletes competing for the first time under the Olympic flag. They are athletes that have been forced from their countries and are refugees.
• * Vinicius, a blue and yellow creature representing the different wildlife of the country of Brazil, is the mascot for the 2016 Summer Games. See the mascot at this link: https://www.olympic.org/rio-2016-mascot


Check out this webquest on the History of the Olympic Games!History of the Olympic Games: A Webquest
Learn about the country of Greece, the country where the Olympic Games first originated!It's Greek to Me!

Learn about the country of Brazil, the country where the 2016 Olympic Games will be heldBrazil: Country in Focus, A Webquest

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